Israelis Ready For Emergency

As a result of the crisis in Syria where hundreds have reportedly died in suspected chemical attacks, record numbers of Israeli citizens are obtaining gas and chemical mask kits and preparing their safe rooms and community bomb shelters for the possibility of attack.

In many cases, these shelters which have been used as synagogues and for after-school programs, are now being inspected by the Homefront Security Ministry to be sure they meet the standards for an emergency situation.

In a conversation with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, President Shimon Peres asserted, “Syria has a ruler who kills people with no compunction, and in a horrible manner. No one can ignore the deaths of children. This is the time for an international effort to remove chemical weapons from Syria. We will not allow those weapons to remain there, not in the hands of Bashar al-Assad, or anyone else.”

According to the Israel Post Office, requests for gas masks increased to four times the usual number on Sunday.